Spiritual Trek Around Mount Kailash

Every year thousands of pilgrims arrive to hike the path around this sacred mountain. Mount Kailash is located in the western portion of the Tibet Autonomous Region. Its sheer walls rise 6,000 feet above the surrounding landscape.

Since geography isn’t my strong card, I have to check to see where Tibet is. According to the map it’s located in the far western part of China, bordering India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Myanmar. But more important than its location is the sacred significance of Mount Kailash to four great religions.

Tibetan Buddhists call the mountain “Precious Snow Mountain”, while for Hindus the mountain is the home of Shiva the mountain god and the symbol of “Om”. For Jains it’s a place of enlightenment, and for Bons it’s the home of the sky goddess.

The pilgrims who make the 32 mile trek on foot around Kailash believe that it will bring good fortune. Interestingly, Hindu and Buddhist pilgrims make the trek in a clockwise direction, while Jain and Bon pilgrims go in a counterclockwise direction.

There are a variety of methods you can use to hike around the site. A normal walk on this high altitude path takes three days, but there are more difficult methods that you could use to reach even greater enlightenment.

For example, some pilgrims trek the entire distance in one day while using a special breathing technique. You could also perform full body prostrations throughout the entire distance, although this exhaustive method can take up to several weeks.

If I had a choice I would probably choose the three day venture. To me a spiritual hike means communing with nature and enjoying the surrounding landscape which at Mount Kailash looks simply amazing.

Russell Suereth is the creator, publisher, and host of the Spiritual Fizz Podcast and the Spiritual Fizz News Magazine. The episodes and articles in these publications focus on connecting the spiritual and physical worlds for listeners and readers across the globe.

He is also an award-winning artist who creates spiritual New Age music that elevates the sense of spirituality in his listeners.

You can reach Russell through Facebook or Twitter, or via email at russell@spiritualfizz.com.